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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about my pancakes.

26 replies

Pancakes1234 · 01/03/2022 20:49

I'm usually so careful with sell by dates and so last year when it was lockdown, I put the flour I bought in a Tupperware tub.

I checked yesterday that it was free from weevils and there weren't any.

My kids made the pancake mix and I cooked them but they weren't as nice as normal and I had a horrible after taste.

When I went back to check the ingredients I noticed that the flour had a 'play dough' smell which I looked up and it turns out that it was off. I didn't even realise it went off, I thought that when it was the sell by date it would have bugs in it.

Just read that it was probably off and could have Mycotoxins in it.

I have health anxiety anyway and emetophobia so I'm worried I'll be really ill. I will confess to being rubbish in the kitchen so I know nothing about food etc.

OP posts:
HereComesTheSum · 01/03/2022 20:50

It's flour. You'll all be absolutely fine. You need to chill.

dementedpixie · 01/03/2022 20:52

Meh, I made our pancakes with flour with a best before date of August 2021. Its a best before date not a use by so I'm not worried at all

WheelieBinPrincess · 01/03/2022 20:53

Really ill from flour?!

No. And we’ve almost certainly all eaten weevils at some point.

PancakeBae · 01/03/2022 20:54

Did the kids add anything to the mix to 'improve' it, like vanilla essence?

Raaarrrrrrrr · 01/03/2022 20:55

My flour is 2 years old. I bought in bulk in the first lockdown (a local restaurant did a sideline so tried to support). I also lost my taste and smell back then and still can't smell bad/warning smells.

I would have no idea if it was off.

But I have been using it a lot lately for cakes etc and no one has complained.

I'm sure you'll be fine.

Original poster
Pancakes1234 · 01/03/2022 20:55

It wasn't that it was past it sell by date but that it was definitely off.

Mycotoxins can apparently make you ill.

OP posts:
WheelieBinPrincess · 01/03/2022 20:56

How old are your kids?

Maybe they just made a rubbish mix.

OneTC · 01/03/2022 20:57

Have used flour that's years out of date and not died (or even had a little vom) yet

I'd generally only avoid flour that had animals running through it

Bellyups · 01/03/2022 20:58

I am emetophobic too op, so get your anxiety, but it’s only flour.

poodlepoop · 01/03/2022 21:00

If your Flour had enough mycotoxins to make you ill you'd smell it as soon as you opened the bag.

Most off flour will just make things taste bad as you've discovered

I'm sure you'll be fine

OhWhyNot · 01/03/2022 21:05

You will be fine we are a ready made pancake mix last year that was nearly a year out of date we were fine (I realised after)

So play-doh is gone off flour (I love the smell of play-doh) sorry not helpful

Original poster
Pancakes1234 · 01/03/2022 21:08

It did smell bad. Exactly like it says it would smell if it was off. I smelt it as soon as I opened it up. However my kids didn't. Not that young and usually good at baking etc

OP posts:
WheelieBinPrincess · 01/03/2022 21:09

But you said you checked it yesterday and it was fine!

I think you’re overthinking it.

GrumpyPanda · 01/03/2022 21:11

Flour does go rancid, probably nothing more than that.

MrsSkylerWhite · 01/03/2022 21:12

Unlikely to make you ill (unless you’re pirates and store it in barrels full of weevils).

SmileThey’ll be fine

Original poster
Pancakes1234 · 01/03/2022 21:13

I only checked through the tub. I didn't open the tub which obviously I am wishing I did now.

OP posts:
User76745333 · 01/03/2022 21:14

Was it white flour? It is unlikely it would be rancid unless it was really old. It’s not like wholemeal flour, it’s so refined there’s literally nothing left in it to go off

Original poster
Pancakes1234 · 01/03/2022 21:16

Yes it was white plain flour.

OP posts:
LadyMaid · 01/03/2022 21:29

This is going to be very unhelpful.
But I thought pancakes was a euphemism for your boobs.

poodlepoop · 01/03/2022 21:35

No I mean really smell - to the extent that there's no way you'd have used it - think the equivalent of a rotten egg

Mamamovingnorth · 01/03/2022 21:36

Never thought about flour being off. Didn’t check mine, assume it’s fine.

I never check anything that’s vegan

KidneyBeans · 01/03/2022 21:41

You shouldn't store flour in plastic/Tupperware as it traps any humidity in and that makes fungus more likely.
It comes in paper bags for a reason

It doesn't automatically get weevils when it goes off either

makingmiracles · 01/03/2022 21:49

I’m sure you will all be fine! I’ve used flour a few yrs old before. In recent yrs I’ve got cautious about weevils as I lent some flour and the person said it had weevils in. Now when I buy a bag I seal it in a freezer bag and freeze it, when I next need flour I get it out and from there on in it lives back in the cupboard-apparently freezing it kills weevil eggs(which I was told all flour contains -vom) so if you freeze it should never develop weevils.

MrsDThomas · 01/03/2022 21:51

My flour was BB April 21.

Im ok. No need to panic

HPmagic · 01/03/2022 22:00

I keep my flour in the freezer because it stops weevils. It does not freeze, I use the flour straight from the freezer and it stays soft and fluffy.

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